Separator and trap



April 14, 41925. 1,533,835

c. A. DAwLEY SEPARATOR AND TRAP Filed Nov. 1, 1923 l willy i lllum Illll l l Patented Apr. 14, 11925. I y i y A. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE A. DAWLEY, F JPLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

BEPABATCB AND TRAP'.

Application-med November 1, 1923. SerialI No. 6l72,105.

To all whom. it may concern.'

Be it known that I, 'CLARENCE A. DAW- LEY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefu Improvements in Separators and Traps, of which the following is a specification.

- My invention relates to a-combined separator' and trap foi automatically removing moisture from a gaseous fluid flowin under pressure through a pipe, and for co lecting and discharging the ent-rainedv liquid and such solids as may be carried into the apparatus by the gas. The object of my inveny tion is to provide an improved device of this general type which is simple in construction, compact, light, inexpensive and free from operating troubles, and having certain other advantages hereinafter explained pr apparent from the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a vertical section through an apparatus embodying my invention in one form;

Fig. 2 is a' section on the line A-A, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line B--B, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line C-C, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a broken plan of the valve frame.

While the present separator and trap may be employed for any appropriate use, it is designed particularly for compressed air lines, and serves to remove the moisture from the air passing through the pipes. However, I use the expression gas hereinafter in a sense broad enough to cover steam,

air or other moist gaseous fluid. It will be understood furthermore that the construction shown is but an illustrative embodiment of my invention, and that various modifications may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts, which embody what I claim as my invention.

Referring to the drawing, the device shown comprises a head casting 1 which rests upon a body casting 2, to the lower orticn of' which is applied a lateral valve liousing or cap plate 3, the several castings beingv secured together by any appropriate means to form a closed chamber.

The head casting l is provided with an inlet port 4 and an outlet port 5, both tapped to receive respectively inlet and outlet pipes (not shown). Arranged within the head is a transversely extending baille plate 6 which may be cast integral with the head or formed as an independent member secured thereto, as shown, by one or more bolts 7 passing through the top of the head casting.

i toward the inlet port 4. At its lower margin the baflle plate is oppositely and downwardly inclined toward a central drainage aperture 10. Gutter flanges 11 and 12, upwardly inclined from the lower margins of the baffle plate lead to the aperture 10. A top flange 13 may be provided for the reception of the securing bolts 7 when the baille is formed independently of the head casting.

Carried by the baille plate and faced toward the inlet port 4, is a V-shaped deflecting screen 14: referably formed from spring sheet metal pierced by apertures 15. While the deflector may be mounted and secured in position solely by the gutter flanges 11 and 12, and through its spring engagement in the corners afforded by the inwardly inclined side flanges 8 and 9, I prefer to attach it permanently to the baille by brazing, soldering, or the like. In operation, the gas and water entering at inlet 4 strike the perforated deflector 14; the water being heavier tends to pass through the perforations 15 and drops down into the space between the deflector and baille 6 onto the drip plate 16, and passes out through the drainage aperture 10.

Underlying the baille plate 6 I arrange a channelled drip plate 16 secured in any suitable way to the gutter flanges 1l and 12 andv tus, does not come in contact with the liquid accumulated in the trap, and consequently does not tend to vagain pick up the moisture which it loses at the baffles.

To cause further changes of direction 1n the gas as it passes through the baille chamber, ribs 17 and 18 may be provided projecting inwardly from the wall of the head casting adjacent the outlet connection 5.

Such moisture as is deposited on these ribs falls upon the drip plate 16 and is discharged at the lower margin of the latter. It will be noted that the discharge from the drip late takes place adjacent one' side of the ody 2 formlng the tra `chamber, and clears the float 19 arranged t erein.

.A further se arating'action results from the fact that t e center of area of the lateral passages around the baille plate 6 is materially lower than the center line of the. inlet and outlet ports .4 and 5. As the gas rises to the outlet 5 after assin the baille 6, the heavier liquid partielles sin and flow down the drip plate 16 into the trap.

The lateral valve plate 3 for the tra is rovided with an outwardly projecting iolow boss 20 apertured at its outer end to accommodate the threaded and longitudinally pierced stem 21 of the valve frame 22. Supported within the valve frame is the horizontal valve stem 23 adapted to close and open the port at the inner end of the stem 21. This ort communicates with a transversechanne 24 formed in the valve frame and opening to the interior of the boss 20.

Pivotally mounted at 25 upon the upper web of the valve frame is a double-arm,

bell-crank float lever 2G, one end of which 'embraces and is secured to the float 19.

The other end 27 straddles the valve stem 23 and is engaged between collars 28 -thereon to open or close the valve with the rise or fall of the float. The valve frame and its associated parts are secured in position within the boss 20 by a` nut 29 threaded on the projecting end of stem 21 of the frame, and are held against rotationby a stud 30 taking into a channel 31 in the boss.

The arrangement of the outlet channel 2-1 adjacent the outer end of the boss 20 serves to prevent clogging of the Valve port by solids or sediment in the trap, the location of the boss being sufficiently above the bottom of the trap to aord ample space for the accommodation of solids. One or more clean-out openings 32 may be formed adjacent the bottom of the body casting 2 through which, upon the removal of the plugs' 33, the sediment inthe bottom ofthe trap may be blown out.

' The float 19 is of light weight metal not adapted to withstand external pressure. To enable it to fulfill its function I open the interior of the ball to the trap pressure through a pipe 34 which extends through a hole in the upper portion of the ball and isv soldered at its beveled lower end 35 to 'the opposite or lower side of theball. Such liquid as may leak into or condense within the ball is automatically expelled by variations of interior and exterior pressure. In all pressure lines, such as that in which the present trap is adapted for installation,

ramasse there' are fluctuations in the pressure incident to the consumption of the pressure lluid at its point of use. It is obvious that by reason of the communication estabexpulsion of portion of the liquid through the pipe 34. Inasmuch as the jets expelled from theE interior of the float are apt to disperse the condensate in a finely divided condition, in which it would be readily taken up baille cha r, I arrange thepipe 34 in such position that its discharge impinges against the lower surface of the drip plate 16 which thus prevents the s ray from entering the air passing the ba es.

Owing to the permissibly light construction of the lloat, because of this self-hailing feature, the float has great buoyancy relative to its weight, and therefore may be of small size. This in turn permits body 2 to by the gas flowing through the A m e the valve, and the; lever 26 is consequently short. A light and compact construction is thus obtained. As stated, the construction shown and above described constitutes but an illustraf tive embodiment of what I claim as my invention.

I claim- 1. A combined separator and trap comprising a baille chamber and a subjacent trap, ballles in the baille chamber, and a drip plate to which the ballles discharge, said drip plate substantially corresponding 1n area to the baille chamber and serving to confine the turbulent gas flow tothe baille cha-mber, said drip plate having a. gradual downward inclination from the intake to the outlet end of the baille chamber.

2. In a construction of the type described, a baille chamber having inlet and outlet ports in the upper portion of the chamber, a drip plate substantially closing the lower portion of the chamber, and ballles interposedv between the inlet and outlet ports, the center of area of the passages around said ballles being below that of the inlet and outclined toward the latter in the genera-l direcl 'tion of th'e gas flow through the baille chamber.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a baille chamber having inlet and outlet ports, an interposed baille plate, and a perforated deilecting screen carried by the plate, a centrally channelled drip plate carried by said baille plate to recieve and dischar e the condensate from the baille plate.

4. n apparatus of the character described, a baille chamber having inlet and outlet ports an interposed baille plate having upwardly incline gutter flanges at the lower margin of the plate, said gutter flanges being inclined 'downwardly transversely of the plate toward a common central discharge port.

5. In apparatus 'of the character described, a baille chamber having inlet and outlet ports, an interposed baffle plate having upwardly inclined tter flanges at the lower margin of the p ate, in combination with a perforated V-shaped delecting screen supported by said gutter flanges and faced toward the inlet port.

6. In a construction of the ty described, a baille chamber, and a su jacent trap, a drip -plate substantially separating the same, a self-hailing float in the trap, a trap outlet valve operated by the float, said float having a port adapted to discharge against the lower face of said drip plate.

" 7. In a construction of the type described, a separating chamber, a float chamber, a float valve, a self-hailing float operatively connected to said float valve, a vent pipe in. said float and a drip late interposed between the outer end o said vent pipe and the separating chamber.

8. A combined separator and trap comrising a separating chamber, a float chamr, a oat valve, a floatfor operating said valve, said float having a vent pipe leading from its exterior near the top to its interior Lnear the bottom, and a drip plate between said float and the separating chamber, and in line with the discharge from the vent pipe.

9. A combined separator and trap having a separator chamber, a float chamber, a valve chamber and a float operated valve which in combination form a pressure tight chamber, a self-bailin float having an upwardly dilected jet ischarge, and means for leading liquid froln the separating chamber to the float chamber, said means also serving to substantially isolate the float chamber from the separating chamber, and also to reject the jet discharge from the selfbailing float.'

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CLARENCE A. DAWLEY. 

